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Written question asked by Greg Smith (Conservative) on Thursday, 14 May 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 20 May 2026 (named day). A holding answer was provided on Wednesday, 20 May 2026. A substantive answer was provided by Simon Lightwood (Labour) on Friday, 19 June 2026 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Department for Transport: Aviation

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 120039, (a) what the purpose was of each flight to Maldives; (b) which Ministers and senior officials approved each visit; (c) how many officials travelled on each occasion and at what grade; (d) what the cost was of each visit; and (e) whether an assessment was made of whether those engagements could be (i) conducted remotely and (ii) combined with other travel.

Answer

The Department for Transport (DfT) undertakes essential international work each year, including aviation and maritime security operations, and direct engagement with other countries and international bodies. While a significant proportion of DfT’s international activity is conducted remotely, in person visits are also necessary to deliver effective engagement and technical assistance, particularly in an operational environment. The visits to the Maldives were programmed to support DfT’s ongoing international activity.

While a significant proportion of DfT’s international aviation security activity is conducted remotely, certain elements of technical engagement require presence on the ground, particularly where activity is focused on operational environments such as airports.

All four visits were approved by a Deputy Director (Senior Civil Servant) in DfT’s Transport Security Division in line with departmental policy.

  • January 2025 – Maritime security engagement involved three officials – two at the Senior Executive Officers (SEO) grade and a Higher Executive Officer (HEO). A port security survey was conducted, and a capacity development workshop was delivered. No Ministers or Senior Officials attended. Total cost: £8,830.57.
  • January/February 2025 – This visit involved three officials at the SEO grade to conduct an airport security assessment. No Ministers or Senior Officials attended. Total Cost: £7,426.97.
  • May 2025 – This visit involved three officials – two SEOs and an Executive Officer (EO) to undertake a technical senior meeting and to verify corrective actions from the airport security assessment. No Ministers or Senior Officials attended. Total Cost: £3260.35.
  • August 2025 – This visit involved One official at SEO and two external training providers to deliver capability development training. No Ministers or Senior Officials attended. Total Cost: £15089.39.
  • November 2025 – This visit involved two officials at SEO grade to conduct an airport security assessment. No Ministers or Senior Officials attended. One official’s flight was cancelled for a refund. Total Cost: £6243.94.

As part of the planning process, consideration was given to whether the engagement could be conducted remotely or combined with other official travel. While some preparatory and follow‑up activity was undertaken virtually, aspects of the engagement required on‑site delivery at the airport and therefore could not be fully conducted remotely.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
1250
Session
2026-27
Related items
Department for Transport: Aviation
Tuesday, 24 March 2026
Written questions
House of Commons
Subjects
Aviation Department for Transport Maldives
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk